Alaska Roundtable

Aviation safety, energy development, resource assessments, flood plain management, and a long list of other Federal and State government activities depend on access to accurate, up-to-date topographic maps and data. Remarkably, modern mapping information does not exist over the majority of land in Alaska, where significant resource, safety and national security interests intersect.

To address this issue, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the State of Alaska co-hosted the Alaska Mapping Roundtable meeting of senior Federal and State executives to raise awareness of status and plans and to explore alternatives for a joint funding strategy for completing topographic mapping in Alaska. The Roundtable was held in Washington, DC on June 28, 2012 and more than 20 Federal departments and bureaus participated because of their mission critical needs for this information. Alaska participants included representatives from the Governor's Office, Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources, the University, and the Congressional delegation.

This features an address to the Alaska Roundtable participants by David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Mr. Hayes outlines the urgency and needs for completing topographic mapping in the State of Alaska.